How Long Do Germs Live On A Door Handle

The survival time for bacteria is more variable.

How long do germs live on a door handle.

Cold viruses don t survive as long usually a few hours. Non enveloped viruses such as adenovirus and rhinovirus which cause cold like symptoms and hepatitis a can live for up to three months on contaminated surfaces. It is believed that door handles provide a suitable environment for the disease to spread on as the virus can survive on these metallic surfaces from 2 up to 8 hours. Door handles provide a popular medium for the disease to spread as every person uses the handle they can extend the duration that the microorganisms survive.

Think about the things you touch multiple times a day doorknobs sinks cabinet handles refrigerator doors remote controls and how many germs are lingering on those surfaces that you may. In theory that means you could contact a door knob an infected person touched 3 days ago and still transfer the virus to your own body. Another study concluded the virus can survive even longer up to 9 days on some surfaces. How long does coronavirus live on surfaces.

On a hard non porous surface like a door handle most viruses are destroyed within 24 hours. The journal of hospital infection s review of 22 studies about how long human coronaviruses can live on inanimate objects found they survive four days on wood and glass two to nine days on. Salmonella only lasts four hours but mrsa can last several weeks and c. Flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces like bus poles and infect another person for 24 to 48 hours she says.

Difficile has been found to survive for up to five months. Enveloped viruses including herpes influenza and coronavirus generally remain infectious for hours or days rather than months.